San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-02-17
JOHN II. REAGAN.
United States Senator Elect from
Texas.

Hon. John H. Reagon, of Texas,
was born in Sewer county, Tenn,
Oct s, 1918. He received a COM
mon school and limited collegiate ed
ucation, but did not graduate. He en-
igrated to tho then Republic Of Texas
in May, 1889, and, becoming n law.
yer, soon drifted into politics, com
mencing his career as deputy survey
or of the public lands in 1889. He
continued in this Office until 1913,
and in 1947 was elected to the State
House of Representatives for u two
year term. In 1852 he was elected
Judge of the District Court for n term
of six years, but resigned, and was
reelected for similar term in 1856.
In 1857 he was elected Repre-
sentative to tho Tirty-lifth Congress
from the First District, and in 1859
was reelected to the Thirty-sixth Con
gress. Upon the outbreak of the
war between the States he cast his
fortunes with the Confederacy and
was elected member of the Seces-
sion convention of Texas in 1861
He was chosen by the convention one
of the deputies to the Provisional
Congress OF tho Confederate States
and was appointed Postmaster Gen
eral of the Confederate Provisional
Government, on March 6, 1861.
Upon tho permanent organization
of the Confederate Government he
was reappointed Postmaster General,
March %, 1862, and filed the office
until the close of the war, with the
exception of short service as acting
Secretary of the Treasury, just before
the collapse Of the Confederate Gov
ernment.
Returning to political life after the
era of reconstruction, he served as
member of the Constitutional Con
vention of Texas in 1876 and was
elected to the House of Representa-.
tives in the Forty-fourth, Forty-fifth,
Forty sixth, Forty-seventh, Forty.
eighth and Forty-ninth Congress
He was reelected to the Fiftietl
Congress, and on Tuesday of last
week was elected United States Sen
ator. He is the only member of the
Confederate Cabinet now in public
life.
The merit Of the passage of the In.
ter-State Commerce bill, measure
fraught with weightier practical con
sequences than any other act of the
present Congress, is due to Judge
Reagan, more than to any other sim
gle person. The bill as finally en-
acted is not only not his bill, but it
is far distant from it in it's main
features. Yet 1t could not have been
enacted but for the long and stout
fight made by the Texas giant for
railroad regulation. Nor could it
have been passed if he had resolutely
insisted on such bill as he thought
! fit to bring about the desired end
In word, he has had in the first
place to clear the road for regulative
Legislation by dozen years of hard
struggle, and then to give up his own
plan and accept q commission with
weak powers, or fail altogether. It is
not the first testimony which he has
given to his sound sense that the
trial found him not wanting in prac-
teal statesmanship. Several of the
best provisions of his original bill are
contained in effect in the new law,
and indeed it is largely due to this
fact that the law is worth anything
at all. In breadth of craftsmanship
Reagan is away ahead of the major
ity of congressman, and by his con-
nection with this important Legislative
achievement lie has made himself fa-
nous with the new generation grown
80. al. ,..,-